Burien Quiet Skies Coalition – June 2019 Update

Hi Everyone,

I hope this email finds you well and enjoying summer. Here’s a quick update on the latest happenings:

Meeting with Adam Smith and Pramila Jayapal’s Staff

Congressional Representatives Adam Smith and Pramila Jayapal asked me and our good friend and neighbor, Walt Bala, to provide a briefing regarding the Burien Turn and our efforts to determine how proper aircraft separation is being applied in accordance with appropriate FAA regulations. For those of you who don’t know Walt, he has 20 years of flying experience with the U.S. Air Force, 18 years of commercial flying experience with USAirways, and nearly 10 years experience with the FAA as an Aviation Safety Inspector assigned to the Alaska Airlines Certificate Management Office. He’s been one of the most active and helpful participants in our fight against the new flight paths over Burien.

We met with staff members from the two offices at Congresswoman Jayapal’s office in Seattle last Tuesday, and provided a 25 minute briefing followed by a questions & answers session. Both offices have been actively engaged with our cause for some time now and understand the issues we face — not only with the Burien Turn, but more broadly with the unabated increase in aircraft flights in the US and across the globe. The next step is to have both Congressional offices send letters to the FAA requesting updates on a number of FOIA requests we’ve made which so far have gone unanswered, and to have them continue pressing their colleagues in Congress to make the legislative changes necessary to reign in the FAA and the major airlines. Stay tuned for updates!

Burien v. FAA – 9th Circuit Hearing Dates in Seattle

The Ninth Circuit contacted our lawyers regarding possible hearing dates for oral arguments here in Seattle sometime between late October and mid December. This is exciting news! We may not have a decision yet, but we will soon have our day in court, so stay tuned for a firm hearing date which you can attend in the federal courthouse in downtown Seattle.

As always, thanks for your support.

Larry Cripe
President, Quiet Skies Coalition